A Christmas Tradition
by gnrkrystle
Summary: Hermione and Draco have a yearly tradition, but can it be more? An exercise in dialogue.


**A/N: This is my submission for the Granger Enchanted Christmas Challenge. My words were 'Ribbon' and 'Ice'. A special thanks to my beta, Rusty Weasley for the quick work and the constant encouragement. **_  
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**A Christmas Tradition**

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_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello."

"Merry Christmas, Granger."

"Again?"

"You know this is a Christmas Tradition. Why do you say the same thing every year?"

"Because itʼs ridiculous, Malfoy."

"Why is it ridiculous? I ﬁnd that the Yuletide is much gayer with you as a part of it."

"Seriously, why do I even entertain this?"

"Thatʼs exactly what Iʼd like to know. If itʼs so ridiculous, why donʼt you just hang up?"

"I should."

"But you wonʼt."

"No."

"See, you want to come out and play as much as I do. Please let me unwrap my favorite Christmas present."

"I need to have my head checked."

"Do whatever you want, Granger. Just make sure you meet me at the pub in ﬁfteen minutes."

_Click._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"I got home just ﬁne, Malfoy."

"Just making sure."

"Why do you care?"

"Who would I torture if you were raped and murdered by some sketchy bloke outside your ﬂat?"

"You fool no one."

"What are you on about?"

"You care. I just canʼt ﬁgure out what you only care once a year."

"Youʼd rather I profess my undying love to you?"

"No. Iʼd just rather know why you call me once a year for something you could easily get from countless women. Then you make me call you when I get home, like you care."

"Granger, you read too much into everything."

"So Iʼm told."

"So, what are you wearing?"

"Malfoy, you saw me only ﬁve minutes ago. You know very well what Iʼm wearing."

"Oh yes, that red dress. Itʼs fun to unwrap, you know."

"So you told me when you unwrapped it."

"Mmm, you are going to get me hard all over again, Granger."

"Yeah. Right, Malfoy."

"Your voice just dropped. Donʼt tell me the idea of a little phone sex makes you hot."

"Malfoy, I should really go to bed."

"No you shouldnʼt, Granger. Weʼve still got an hour of Christmas remaining."

"Yes, the one day you deign to pretend you like me."

"This again? Just shut up and let me make you come again."

"I should hang up on you."

"But you arenʼt going to."

"Probably not."

"Good. Now, take that mobile phone into the bedroom and get comfortable."

"Speaking of, when the hell did you get a mobile? Youʼve always called me on that ancient muggle phone you spent way too much for in America."

"I bought one to ﬁgure out how it worked. Liked it."

"Fine, Iʼm in my bedroom. What now?"

"Now unwrap that dress, let it fall to the ground. Then remove the black lace knickers and bra you wore tonight."

"Malfoy, you donʼt have to do this. Weʼve already slept together tonight. Thatʼs the tradition. No more than that."

"I want to. Now, shut up and get naked."

"You know, you make it hard for me to get in the mood when you talk to me like that."

"Oh, but if that were true, Granger. You love it."

"Fine, Iʼve taken off all my clothes and Iʼm lying in the middle of my bed. Now what?"

"First, an attitude adjustment. Not an hour ago, you were begging me to fuck you. Now you are acting like you are doing me a favor. I canʼt abide it."

"Malfoy, you are absolutely in love with yourself."

"Not as in love with myself as I am with fucking you."

"Malfoy..."

"Now, tell me, what makes you keep coming back every year?"

"Clearly, Iʼm a fool."

"Always so pessimistic."

"Realistic, you mean. So am I lying on my bed, naked for a reason?"

"If you arenʼt going to take this seriously, then yes. You can lie there naked by yourself."

"Iʼm not exactly sure what you want me to do."

"I want you to tell me why you like to fuck me."

"Because you are good at it."

"Thatʼs all?"

"Do you want there to be more?"

"Perhaps, Iʼm the fool."

"I enjoy our time together. I enjoy fucking you because you are good at it, and you know what I like."

"Damn straight, I do, Granger."

"Oh good. Iʼve inﬂated your ego."

"Always so snarky on the phone. You know, when you are in my bed, you are far less disagreeable."

"Maybe itʼs a side affect of regret."

"Donʼt you dare say you regret it, Granger."

"What if I do?"

"You donʼt."

"True."

"Now, what is your favorite thing I did to you tonight?"

"Mmm, well, you have an amazing tongue."

"And you taste divine, Granger."

"Are you trying to get me wet all over again?"

"Thatʼs exactly what Iʼm doing. Now, I want you to imagine me there, parting your lips with my tongue as my hand roams over your body."

"Malfoy..."

"Iʼm so hard just thinking about you lying there naked, arguing with me."

"Kinky."

"What can I say? I enjoy breaking that sour expression into one of complete pleasure."

"You look pretty sexy when you come, too."

"Mmmm."

"Are you naked too?"

"Have been since you left."

"What do you do when I leave?"

"Lie in bed and wish you didnʼt have to go."

"Then why do you make me?"

"Please, Granger. Not now. Just enjoy this."

"Iʼve never done this before."

"Me either, but you and I can do anything we set our minds to. Now, I want you to spread your legs and cup your breasts with your free hand."

"Hold on. If we are going to do this, Iʼm going to have to put the phone on ʻSpeakerʼ."

"How do I do that?"

"The top left button on your phone should read ʻSpeakerʼ. Click it and then you can set the phone aside."

"Huh, learn something new every day."

"I thought you said you studied mobile phones."

"Only the mechanics. Half the time I canʼt even ﬁgure out how to answer this thing."

"Iʼm just shocked you understand about mechanics."

"Do you want to talk cell phone technology, or do you want me to make you come?"

"Come, please."

"Good. Now, you have to participate too. So, when I tell you something I want you to do, or something I wish we were doing, you have to come back with something equally hot for me."

"I understand the concept, Malfoy."

"You seem a bit shy about the verbal aspect. That's all Iʼm saying."

"Why donʼt you shut your mouth and wrap your hand around your cock like I wrapped my lips around it an hour ago."

"Fuck, Granger. Just like that."

"Mmmm."

"Flick your nipples. Are they hard?"

"Yes. Feels good. I just keep thinking about that ﬁrst time. It was so reckless but so fucking hot."

"And the second year when you wrapped yourself entirely in ribbon and let me unwrap you. Best Christmas ever."

"Or the third Christmas when you came in under two minutes, when I sucked your cock after having sucked on a glass of ice. Mmmm."

"Merlin, Granger. I want you."

"Youʼve had me."

"Want you again."

"What do you want to do to me?"

"Fuck you so hard you canʼt walk straight."

"Fuck. Malfoy, Iʼm so wet."

"Can you still feel my come inside you?"

"Yes."

"Shit, Granger, I want to come inside you again."

"Then why donʼt you?"

"You know the rules. Once a year."

"Why are those the rules? Who decided that? Itʼs stupid. Neither of us are with other people. We donʼt owe anyone explanations. Why do we have to deny ourselves? I want you. I donʼt want to pretend you are here."

"Granger..."

"Please, Draco?"

"Fuck. Yeah. Iʼm ﬂooing over."

_Click._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Malfoy, what do you want?"

"Iʼve been calling for three days."

"Yes, I know. iʼve been ignoring you for three days."

"Why?"

"Really? You really want to pretend you donʼt know why I donʼt want to talk to you."

"But we had a good time. I know I donʼt usually extend it, but you wanted me to. And I..."

"I did want you to come over. I did want you to extend it. But I would have thought even a moron could understand why. I didnʼt want you to come over, fuck me, sleep the whole night with me and then sneak out like a coward before we could even talk about it."

"Talk about what?"

"Fuck you, Malfoy. You know this time was different. You can lie to yourself if you want, but you and I both know it wasnʼt just sex."

"Look, Granger, even if that is true, itʼs not worth exploring. We canʼt be together. There are too many problems. Itʼs too hard making it more than it can be."

"So, in other words, you want me to be lonely 364 days a year so that I can have you to myself for one night a year?"

"Are you thinking about seeing something else?"

"Malfoy, for fuckʼs sake! Iʼm trying to tell you how I feel and all you care about is if Iʼm going to start seeing someone else? What if I was? What if I wanted to get married or have a family?"

"Well...I...But that..."

"Exactly. You donʼt want me, but you donʼt want anyone else to have me. Do you know how unfair that is?"

"Itʼs not that I donʼt want you. You know that I do. Fuck, do I have to say it?"

"I think it might help. We talk and talk, but we never say anything real."

"Fine. Granger, I want you. I want you all the time. But I cannot have what I want. Iʼm bound by my family. They wonʼt let me."

"You are nearly thirty fucking years old, Malfoy."

"You just donʼt get it."

"No, I donʼt. And I donʼt care to waste my time trying to ﬁgure it out."

_Click._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

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_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

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_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"What?"

"If you think Iʼm going to be manipulated into giving you what you want, Granger, youʼve got another thing coming."

"Seriously, Malfoy. You think this is some kind of game? Who do you think you are dealing with? Pansy?"

"I know that youʼve been ignoring my calls for two weeks and that youʼve had all of our joint projects at work reassigned so that we no longer work together on anything. I know that you want me to give you something I canʼt, and you are now punishing me."

"No, Iʼm cutting you out of my life. It hurts too much, you arsehole."

"Granger, be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable. You are the one who wants to have me on the side and pretend there is nothing going on for your precious family. Fuck you."

_Click._

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Seriously, Malfoy."

"Hermione, please. Just listen to me."

"What could you possibly have to say?"

"I told my Father about us."

"What?"

"I told him that we were involved."

"We arenʼt involved."

"Fine, that we were involved."

"And?"

"Damnit, Granger, Iʼm trying to tell you that I stood up to him. Heʼs furious, but he knows. I donʼt care that he knows."

"What brought this on?"

"Like you donʼt know."

"No, I donʼt. Look, weʼve been meeting up on Christmas night for sex for almost seven years. Youʼve never given me any inclination that you wanted more until this year. And even then, you were so bloody obsessed with your fatherʼs reaction, you shot me down ﬂat out. Now, over a month later, you want me to believe that you care enough to make some sort of relationship of it?"

"This year was the ﬁrst year you gave me a chance to make it more. I always wanted you, Granger. But I couldnʼt be what you needed. I had family obligations. I had other things going on. But I wanted it. When I saw how hurt you were, I knew I had to do something. It took me this long to work up the courage. Iʼm a coward. Fine. But Iʼm also bloody well in love with you. Iʼd think that would mean something to you."

_Silence._

"Granger, you there?"

"So, what does this mean? And if you try to be cryptic, so help me, Malfoy!"

"It means I want to be with you. All the time. Not just on Christmas. I want you, and I want everyone to know that I want you. Do you think you could ﬁnd it in your heart to just let my seven years of stupidity slide? Just this once?"

"If you recall, I let seven years of stupidity slide when I went home with you the ﬁrst time."

"Touché. So it took me fourteen years to realize Iʼm an idiot."

"It only took me fourteen seconds."

"Ha bloody ha. Are you going to make me grovel?"

"Probably. Why donʼt you come over so you can start? Oh, and Draco, I love you too."


End file.
